By: Jason Bennett

For the last 5 years I have been blasting my body with the basic hardcore fundamental lifts to help build the best foundation I could. After reading Bob's article about creating a solid foundation it inspired me to share a new practice I have begun as my body has finally started to develop nicely and it is time to start shaping a few areas.

I began lifting weights when I was 14 years old and my dad would have to drop me off at the high school weight room during the summers. Like everyone when they first start, I didn't know what the heck I was doing. My pops had a few magazines lying around the house that I would pick up and read, but had no clue what they were saying. This was about the same time that ESPN was showing the Flex sponsored shows with Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone in tights pumping iron in that sweet disco room.

Through years of reading those magazines, doing football workouts and watching the bigger and older guys in the gym I figured out a plan that I thought would be the best for me. It ended up being perfect, Squatting, Dead lifting and Bench Pressing, and a few other basic lifts. This has proven to yield great results for me, but it was time to start adding a few extras into the mix.

So there was a time when I sort of got away from all that and was doing a more "fancy pancy" type workout, and what I noticed was that my body got soft and my strength started to go away. Well this was no good, I knew I had to get back into the real snizzle if I wanted to get big again. So I devised this two-week rotation that is focused around the three main lifts, but still allows for other fancy exercises.

I devised this plan with a few key lagging body parts in mind. I knew I had to get more outer sweep in my quads, more prominent rear delts, a better tuck in the lower pec, and much bigger arms. But at the same time, I still wanted to be strong and fundamentally sound.

Sample Workout

So this is what I came up with:

Monday 1: Legs

Squats, regular, hardcore and heavy. I usually end up doing 6-7 working sets balls deep and eye popping. From 6-12 reps.
Leg Press 4x10
Leg Extension 5x10-12
SLDL 4x10
Standing one legged Curls 4x12

Tuesday 1: Delts, traps (light triceps)

Barbell Shrugs 6x10-6
DB Shrugs 4x10
Bent Over rear laterals 4x10
DB military press 5x10
Side laterals 4x10
Front raises 3x10

For light triceps I do the following:

One arm reverse grip tricep pushdown 4x12
Over the head rope cable extension 4x12
One arm overhead DB extension 4x12

All of these are light, easy and fast, it takes about 10 minutes max to get these in. The point of this is that with the military presses I have already engaged my triceps and just want to pump a little more blood in their until the weekend when I blast arms

Wednesday 1: Rest

Thursday 1: Back and (light biceps)

Bent over Barbell rows 5x10
One arm DB rows 4x10
T-bar rows 4x10
Seated rope pulls to the ears* 4x12;

* Use a rope pulley.

This exercise really targets the rear delts and that is why I do it. You'll see in the delt workout I only do one exercise for rear delts, that is because I do this exercise two days later on back day. This is just like doing seated rows, but you use a rope and pull your hands from your feet up to your ears, keeping your elbows out and up.

Light biceps

Again this takes 10 minutes max and I just run through it:
Reverse Grip Barbell curls 4x10
One arm DB preacher curl 4x12
Hammer Curls 4x10

Friday 1: Chest

Decline BB press 5x10
Flat DB Press 5x10
Incline Flys 3x10
Decline flys 3x10

Notice this week I am doing two movements for the lower pec and only one exercise for the upper pec, this is because during my delt workout I have done front raises. Next week I will not include front raises, use more upper pec and no flat movements.

Saturday 1: Arms

All super sets:
Standing BB Curls/Skull Crushers 4x8
Incline DB curls/Overhead Tricep Extensions 4x15
Hammer curls/Dips 4x8
Preacher Curls/pushdowns 4x15

Sunday 1: Rest

Monday 2: We are back to legs, however this week we do

Front Squats 5x10-8
Hack Squats 5x10
Extensions 5x10

Nothing for Hamstrings, because this week we dead lift.

Tuesday 2: Delts, traps (light triceps)

Standing BB shrugs 6x10
Standing DB Shrugs 4x10
Bent Over Rear Laterals 5x10
Rear Delt Machine 5x10
Behind the neck Smith Machine Press 5x10
Lean Forward side laterals 3x12

Light Triceps, same as above.

You see, this delt #2 workout really focuses on the rear delt all in one day. You'll see that combine with a day of rest and back workout #2 it works out perfect

Wednesday 2: Rest

Thursday 2: Back (light Biceps)

Dead lift 6x10-4
Bent Over BB Rows 4x10
Pull downs 4x10

Light Biceps (same as above)

Friday 2: Chest

Incline BB Press 5x10
Decline DB Press 5x10
Decline Flys 3x10
Incline Flys 3x10

Here we have focused on just the incline and decline because this is really what my chest needs. Forever all I ever did for chest was flat movements, 10 sets of bench presses and 6 sets of flys since the beginning, so my chest lags the chest/delt tie in and a good under cut.

Saturday 2: Arms

All super sets:
Standing BB Curls/Skull Crushers 4x8
Incline DB curls/Overhead Tricep Extensions 4x15
Hammer curls/Dips 4x8
Preacher Curls/pushdowns 4x15

Conclusion

So as you can see I am still doing all the basic hard-core lifts, but also doing other heavy lifts that are similar to the fundamentals. Doing the Dead lifts and regular Squats on separate weeks really helps my body recover and prepare for the next workouts.

When I was power lifting and doing all three lifts in the same week, I wasn't performing as many ancillary lifts to supplement them. So, if you are lagging in the same areas I am give this a shot, or if it is different areas tailor this so it fits you perfectly. However never forget the basics.

I'll quote Johnnie Jackson, IFBB pro, from the latest issue of Muscular Development:

Thanks,

Jason.Bennett@PETERSON.af.mil

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